The latest quarterly statistics showing US smartphone market share show Microsoft's task with Windows Phone 7 is daunting, as the new OS is already losing ground. The latest US smartphones figures from comScore cover November of last year through the end of January, and while the figures are largely as expected the drop of market share by Microsoft is a bit of a surprise.

Google's Android remains on top of the smartphone pack, with a gain in share of almost 8 percent over the period. This gives Android a solid 32.2 percent of the US market. RIM rings in at second place with 30.4 percent of the market, but after a 5 percent drop in share. Apple's share of the market (24.7 percent) remained largely unchanged for third place.

This was the first period tracked by comScore since the debut of Microsoft's Windows Phone 7, and while the company is trying valiantly to paint a good picture of customer acceptance, the drop in the US says otherwise. Windows Phone 7 dropped almost 2 percent over the period, which is significant as it had such a small market share to begin with (9.7 percent). Microsoft can't afford to already be losing share, so its task is certainly daunting.

Update: While the comScore numbers for Microsoft contain Windows Mobile figures as well as Windows Phone 7, the decline may be reflecting owners of the older OS moving to another platform. Windows Mobile owners upgrading to Windows Phone 7 would not show as a decline in share; if so, the fact they are not moving to the new Microsoft platform is telling.